acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

Recent Opinion


bg-corner

Why Robots Will Always Need ­S
From ACM Opinion

Why Robots Will Always Need ­S

"Human beings are ashamed to have been born instead of made," wrote the philosopher Günther Anders in 1956. Our shame has only deepened as our machines have grown...

Moore's Law Turns 50
From ACM Opinion

Moore's Law Turns 50

On April 19, 1965, just over 50 years ago, Gordon Moore, then the head of research for Fairchild Semiconductor and later one of the co-founders of Intel, was asked...

'rise of the Robots' and 'shadow Work'
From ACM Opinion

'rise of the Robots' and 'shadow Work'

In the late 20th century, while the blue-collar working class gave way to the forces of globalization and automation, the educated elite looked on with benign condescension...

Preparing For Warfare in Cyberspace
From ACM Opinion

Preparing For Warfare in Cyberspace

The Pentagon’s new 33-page cybersecurity strategy is an important evolution in how America proposes to address a top national security threat. It is intended to...

Case Against Google May Be ­ndercut By Rapid Shifts in Tech
From ACM Opinion

Case Against Google May Be ­ndercut By Rapid Shifts in Tech

The antitrust case against Google filed by European Union regulators on Wednesday will inevitably draw comparisons to the long-running prosecution of Microsoft,...

Don't Let Statistics Ruin Baseball
From ACM Opinion

Don't Let Statistics Ruin Baseball

One of the charms of baseball, which started up again this week, is the exhilarating departure it offers from the noisy bustle of daily life.

Karen, an App That Knows You All Too Well
From ACM Opinion

Karen, an App That Knows You All Too Well

Thinking about a life coach but not ready to commit to the real thing?

Learning to See Data
From ACM Opinion

Learning to See Data

For the past year or so genetic scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have been collaborating with a specialist from another universe...

The Math of March Madness
From ACM Opinion

The Math of March Madness

The N.C.A.A. men's basketball tournament started Thursday, but for most Americans the real action began days before, as they pored over brackets, competing to make...

If an Algorithm Wrote This, How Would You Even Know?
From ACM Opinion

If an Algorithm Wrote This, How Would You Even Know?

Let me hazard a guess that you think a real person has written what you're reading. Maybe you're right. Maybe not.

Here's What Will Truly Change Higher Education: Online Degrees That Are Seen as Official
From ACM Opinion

Here's What Will Truly Change Higher Education: Online Degrees That Are Seen as Official

Three years ago, technology was going to transform higher education. What happened?

Outing A.I.: Beyond the Turing Test
From ACM Opinion

Outing A.I.: Beyond the Turing Test

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is having a moment, albeit one marked by crucial ambiguities.

The Reality of Quantum Weirdness
From ACM Opinion

The Reality of Quantum Weirdness

In Akira Kurosawa's film "Rashomon," a samurai has been murdered, but it's not clear why or by whom.

Astro Teller, Google's ‘captain of Moonshots,' on Making Profits at Google X
From ACM Opinion

Astro Teller, Google's ‘captain of Moonshots,' on Making Profits at Google X

Google is all over the place.

Google, Mighty Now, but Not Forever
From ACM Opinion

Google, Mighty Now, but Not Forever

Technology giants often meet their end not with a bang but a whimper, a slow, imperceptible descent into irrelevancy that may not immediately be reflected in the...

Tim O'reilly Explains the Internet of Things
From ACM Opinion

Tim O'reilly Explains the Internet of Things

Tim O'Reilly has been at the cutting edge of the Internet since it went commercial.

Microsoft Hololens: A Sensational Vision of the Pc's Future
From ACM Opinion

Microsoft Hololens: A Sensational Vision of the Pc's Future

It's generally wise to take demonstrations of new technologies with a grain of salt.

Death By Robot
From ACM Opinion

Death By Robot

Imagine it's a Sunday in the not-too-distant future.

Do Aliens Know It's Christmas?
From ACM Opinion

Do Aliens Know It's Christmas?

A star appeared in the East.

The Lesson of the Sony Hack: We Should All Jump to the 'erasable Internet'
From ACM Opinion

The Lesson of the Sony Hack: We Should All Jump to the 'erasable Internet'

This month's news provides yet another occasion for a friendly public-service reminder to anyone who uses a digital device to say anything to anyone, ever.
Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account